Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park
{{Short description|National park in Baja California, Mexico}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park
| photo = Mountains02-Sierra SanPedroMartir-BajaCalifornia-Mexico.jpg
| photo_caption =
| iucn_category = II
| map = Mexico |relief=1
| map_width =
| map_caption =
| location = Ensenada Municipality, Mexicali Municipality, Baja California, Mexico
| nearest_city = San Felipe, Baja California
| coordinates = {{coord|30|54|19|N|115|30|04|W|region:MX|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| area = {{convert|72909|ha}}
| established = April 26, 1947 {{cite web | url=http://www.conanp.gob.mx/sig/?id=tw_redireccion | title=Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas | Gobierno | gob.mx }}
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body = Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources
| world_heritage_site =
}}
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park is a national park in the Mexican state of Baja California. The Park is part of the municipality of Ensenada, Baja California. The area was first explored by Native people then Europeans in 1701 by Eusebio Francisco Kino by Dominican orders.
The park is known for its pine trees and granite rock formations. Sierra de San Pedro Mártir is a mountain range that runs north-south along the middle part of northwestern Baja California, Mexico. With its name Spanish for "mountains of Saint Peter the Martyr". Picacho del Diablo (Devil's Peak) is the highest peak in the park and in Baja California with its summit reaching {{convert|3,096|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}}. Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park is one of the few pine forests that exists on the Baja California peninsula that is important habitat for native Bighorn Sheep. In addition the park is home to the California condor through re-introduction program by several international agencies.
The National Astronomical Observatory, built in 1971 on a neighboring peak, Cerro del la Cúpula, is home to Mexico's largest optical telescope, with a diameter of 2.12 meters, and a weight of 40 tons in total. The observatory is the second most important in Latin America.
History
File:Mountains03-Sierra SanPedroMartir-BajaCalifornia-Mexico.jpg
The first European explorations of the region were realized by the Jesuit order during the evangelization era of the neo-Hispanic territories of California. The regions of the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir are thought to have been explored by father Eusebio Francisco Kino and father Wenceslao Link in 1701. Later the Dominicans continuing the evangelization movement built the Misión San Pedro Mártir de Verona in the southern part of the park, but only ruins are left of the site.
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park was officially created by decree on April 26, 1947, in which 72,909 hectares were set aside and declared protected by the Mexican Federal government.
The National Astronomical Observatory is located at an elevation of {{convert|2830|m|abbr=on}}. The observatory was built in 1975, and has several large telescopes, the largest of which is {{convert|2.1|m|in|abbr=on}}. The observatory takes advantage of the high elevation, along with typically clear skies, low relative humidity, low atmospheric pollution, low light pollution, and low levels of radio interference.
Geography
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park is a national park located on the northern part of the Cordillera Baja California Mountain Range, known as Sierra de San Pedro Mártir.
The elevated peak is thought to have begun to rise in the Paleozoic era through tectonic rifts. Sierra de San Pedro Mártir a rugged mountain range with drastic topological changes covered with pine forest and surrounded by large deserts. Because it is surrounded by deserts, the park is often described as an oasis.[http://www.conanp.gob.mx/anp/san_pedro_martir/san_pedro.php "Sierra de San Pedro Mártir. Relevancia"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207082356/http://www.conanp.gob.mx/anp/san_pedro_martir/san_pedro.php |date=2008-12-07 }}. De la web de CONANP. Consultado el 3 de enero de 2009.
Picacho del Diablo is the highest peak in the park measuring {{convert|3,096|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} above sea level. Picacho del Diablo is on the east side of the park. Throughout the park there are several deep canyons and many abrupt topological changes.
Climate
The Sierra de San Pedro Mártir Mountain Range has two main climates with an average annual temperature of {{cvt|20|°C}}. A Continental climate Dsa in the higher elevations and semiarid climate in the lower elevations. In the higher elevations the rainy season comes during the winter with 36% precipitation falling with frequent rainstorms and several snowstorms. During the summer in the higher elevations with 22.9% precipitation falling. Winters are mild with temperatures typically varying from {{cvt|3|to|18|C}}. Summers are warm with temperatures varying from {{cvt|18|to|22|C}}. Temperatures vary drastically throughout the park according to elevation due to dramatic topographical changes. During the winter in the extreme high elevations large amount of snow accumulates while in the summer the lower elevations exceed {{cvt|100|°F|disp=flip}}.{{cite web |url=http://www2.ine.gob.mx/publicaciones/libros/108/bc.html |title=Sistema de Publicaciones del INE |accessdate=2010-01-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722225313/http://www2.ine.gob.mx/publicaciones/libros/108/bc.html |archivedate=2011-07-22 }}
{{Weather box
|metric first= Yes
|single line = Yes
|open = Yes
|location = Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park
(National Astronomical Observatory, 2,800m amsl/9,186ft amsl)
|temperature colour =
|Jan high C = 1.2 |Jan record high C = 12.8
|Feb high C = 3.4 |Feb record high C = 16.2
|Mar high C = 8.2 |Mar record high C = 13.5
|Apr high C = 10.3 |Apr record high C = 15.4
|May high C = 11.3 |May record high C = 19.1
|Jun high C = 18.5 |Jun record high C = 23.4
|Jul high C = 17.6 |Jul record high C = 23.3
|Aug high C = 19.3 |Aug record high C = 21.3
|Sep high C = 16.0 |Sep record high C = 20.5
|Oct high C = 13.2 |Oct record high C = 17.4
|Nov high C = 7.6 |Nov record high C = 13.7
|Dec high C = 1.0 |Dec record high C = 8.8
|year high C = 11.1 |year record high C = 23.4
|Jan mean C = -1.8
|Feb mean C = −0.3
|Mar mean C = 4.8
|Apr mean C = 6.6
|May mean C = 7.7
|Jun mean C = 14.9
|Jul mean C = 15.0
|Aug mean C = 16.6
|Sep mean C = 13.3
|Oct mean C = 10.2
|Nov mean C = 3.9
|Dec mean C = −2.2
|year mean C = 7.8
|Jan low C = −4.7 |Jan record low C = −9.2
|Feb low C = −4.2 |Feb record low C = −16.6
|Mar low C = 1.3 |Mar record low C = −10.3
|Apr low C = 2.8 |Apr record low C = −10.7
|May low C = 4.1 |May record low C = −5.3
|Jun low C = 11.2 |Jun record low C = 6.0
|Jul low C = 12.3 |Jul record low C = 8.2
|Aug low C = 14.0 |Aug record low C = 11.8
|Sep low C = 10.6 |Sep record low C = 6.0
|Oct low C = 7.2 |Oct record low C = −3.4
|Nov low C = 0.2 |Nov record low C = −9.4
|Dec low C = −5.4 |Dec record low C = −9.8
|year low C = 4.5 |year record low C = −16.6
|Jan chill = −15.7
|Feb chill = −32.0
|Mar chill = −16.8
|Apr chill = −20.4
|May chill = −14.0
|Jun chill = 0.1
|Jul chill =
|Aug chill =
|Sep chill = 0.6
|Oct chill = −11.4
|Nov chill = −19.9
|Dec chill = −19.3
|year chill = −32.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 80.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 20.9
|Mar precipitation mm = 53.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 12.7
|May precipitation mm = 7.4
|Jun precipitation mm = 0.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 37.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 45.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 23.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 3.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 41.2
|Dec precipitation mm = 54.4
|year precipitation mm = 382.1
|Jan precipitation days = 6.2
|Feb precipitation days = 2.0
|Mar precipitation days = 4.0
|Apr precipitation days = 1.8
|May precipitation days = 1.0
|Jun precipitation days = 0.1
|Jul precipitation days = 2.6
|Aug precipitation days = 3.3
|Sep precipitation days = 2.5
|Oct precipitation days = 0.6
|Nov precipitation days = 3.4
|Dec precipitation days = 3.4
|year precipitation days = 30.9
|unit snow days = 0.1 cm
|Jan snow days =
|Feb snow days =
|Mar snow days =
|Apr snow days =
|May snow days =
|Jun snow days =
|Jul snow days =
|Aug snow days =
|Sep snow days =
|Oct snow days =
|Nov snow days =
|Dec snow days =
|year snow days =
|source =National Autonomous University of Mexico Observatorio Astronómico de San Pedro Mártir {{cite web |url= http://tango.astrosen.unam.mx/weather15/ |title= Institute of Astronomy |publisher= National Autonomous University of Mexico |language= Spanish |accessdate= June 10, 2012}}}}
Flora and fauna
File:Observatorio de San Pedro Martir.jpg
File:Devils-Peak Sierra-SanPedroMartir BajaCalifornia Mexico.jpg
File:Mountains01-Sierra SanPedroMartir-BajaCalifornia-Mexico.jpg
File:San-Felipe Sierra-SanPedroMartir BajaCalifornia Mexico.jpg
Conifers are predominant at higher elevations of the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir. The most abundant are: Pinus lambertiana, Pinus quadrifolia, Pinus jeffreyi, Abies concolor, and Tecate cypress (Hesperocyparis forbesii).{{cite web| url = http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-plant-tree-distribution-maps-i-to-p.php| title = Interactive Native Plant and Tree Distribution Range Maps a to h}} The critically endangered San Pedro Mártir cypress (Hesperocyparis montana) is endemic to the Siera de San Pedro Mártir.{{cite web| author=Farjon, A. | year=2013 | url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/34077/2843832 | title=Cupressus arizonica var. montana | publisher=The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013 | doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T34077A2843832.en | access-date=2024-02-12}} Oaks grow with conifers at middle elevations. The montane forest flora is distinct from the flora of the rest of Mexico, and shares many species with the Laguna Mountains and San Jacinto Mountains in southwest California. The lower elevations of the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir are defined by chaparral and desert shrub. Sierra de San Pedro Mártir is a southern demarcation of the distribution of the California fan palm, Washingtonia filifera.C. Michael Hogan. 2009. [http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=90942 California Fan Palm: Washingtonia filifera] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930184850/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=90942 |date=2009-09-30 }} GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg
Throughout the park there are a great variety of mammals: mule deer, bighorn sheep, cougar, bobcat, ringtail cat, coyote, rabbit, squirrel and more than 30 species of bats. The park is also home to many avian species like: bald eagle, golden eagle, falcon, woodpecker, black vulture, crow, several species of Sittidae. Captive-born California condor have been re-introduced to the wild in the Sierra San Pedro Martir, the first time they have been seen in the range since 1937. The condor was introduced into the park with international cooperation between the United States and Mexico. Local ecologists named the second generation of Californian condors "inyaa" (sun in the Kiliwa language).
image:Butt heads.jpg| Bighorn sheep
image:Calero Creek Trail Bobcat.jpg| Bobcat
image:Mule Deer at Clearwater Pass 2.jpg| Mule deer
Bibliography
Vargas Márquez, Fernando. 1984. Parques Nacionales de México y Reservas Equivalentes. Pasado, presente y futuro. Los Bosques de México. Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas. UNAM. México, D.F. 266 páginas.
References
{{reflist|2}}
{{commons category|Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20081210101124/http://www.ine.gob.mx/ueajei/publicaciones/libros/108/bc.html Información completa sobre el Parque de San Pedro Mártir]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060627084726/http://mx.gotolatin.com/Attr/htm/Mexico-Parque-Nacional-San-Pedro-Martir.asp GoLatin.com: Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park]
{{National parks of Mexico}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sierra De San Pedro Martir National Park}}
Category:National parks of Mexico
Category:Protected areas of Baja California
Category:Geography of Ensenada Municipality
Category:Landmarks in Ensenada